Chimney Fires - What do you take to the roof?

For a chimney fire we have a bucket of stuff we take to the roof. This includes a couple of chains, brushes, a weight, baking soda, and carabineers. All of this stuff is in the buck and tends to get tangled up with the chain. How do you guys do it? Is there a better way?

If there is still any doubts
Send the following to the roof:
Chimney chain (we keep it in one of those red flare storage containers)
Small toolbox
1. Remove any screens or caps.
2. Run a chain down the chimney and try to knock materials free

Still in doubt?
1. Positive pressure fan to front door and a dry chem to the interior.
2. Pressurize house, and shoot short bursts of dry chem up the flue.

Last resort?
Put water into chimney w/fog nozzle in short bursts.

We have also used "Cold Fire" www.firefreeze.com. Neat stuff, wont damage hot metal if applied to it.

95% of the time, water can, short bursts down the chimney takes care of it.

If the fire is bigger, small bursts, from the can, in the hotbox at the bottom will knock it out. We use the steam to displace oxygen and knock out the fire. Works especially well with stoves that we can close up so that the steam gets drawn up, not so well with fireplaces.

Check for extension. TIC is useful for this. We also use the TIC to make sure the fire is out.

If the chimney is really gunked up, we have a special chimney nozzle that goes on the end of a booster line and is lowered down the chimney from the top. It puts out a fine water mist 360° around the nozzle. Its also weighted and pointed to force its way past blockages. The booster line is used because its extra stiffness makes pushing it down the chimney easier. We practice setting this up, but have needed it once in the past five years.

Don't use chains, brushes or any of that other stuff. We give the home owner the cards from each of the 3 chimney sweeps in our area and tell them to have the chimney cleaned and inspected before they use it again.

On a side note, we are getting more and more homeowners putting metal roofs on. As a result, we are working from the stick more and more and not getting on the roof.

Every chimney involving a masonry chimney should have an established collapse zone. I have seen two incidents of the chimney collapsing during fire suppression of fires in the area of the chimney. One of these collapses resulted in an LODD. Older chimneys are often not properly connected to the building. If the fire is in the wall, these connectors (nails, straps, etc.) may be compromised.

Every chimney involving a masonry chimney should have an established collapse zone. I have seen two incidents of the chimney collapsing during fire suppression of fires in the area of the chimney. One of these collapses resulted in an LODD. Older chimneys are often not properly connected to the building. If the fire is in the wall, these connectors (nails, straps, etc.) may be compromised.

Thanks for adding that. Those of us in Morris County should never forget this critical point.

Older chimneys are often not properly connected to the building. If the fire is in the wall, these connectors (nails, straps, etc.) may be compromised.

While I understand what you are saying and agree completely that chimneys are often serious hazards that are overlooked, I believe NFPA 211 requires that masonary chimneys be free standing and not connected to the building. The rationale seems to be that houses/buildings move over time and the masonary (no give) chimney should not be forced to move with them. The problems with older chimneys is often found when the lowest portion is on an elevated floor and does not go into the basement and rest on solid ground. I've even seen a few that stop at the cieling/floor assemble and then continue above using the framing of the floor as part of the chimney! Oddly enough, none of these were found as a result of a fire.

While I understand what you are saying and agree completely that chimneys are often serious hazards that are overlooked, I believe NFPA 211 requires that masonary chimneys be free standing and not connected to the building. The rationale seems to be that houses/buildings move over time and the masonary (no give) chimney should not be forced to move with them. The problems with older chimneys is often found when the lowest portion is on an elevated floor and does not go into the basement and rest on solid ground. I've even seen a few that stop at the cieling/floor assemble and then continue above using the framing of the floor as part of the chimney! Oddly enough, none of these were found as a result of a fire.

That's great for new construction... but George's point must be taken for any structure built before NFPA 211 was adopted.. and there are a lot of them.

‎"The education of a firefighter and the continued education of a firefighter is what makes "real" firefighters. Continuous skill development is the core of progressive firefighting. We learn by doing and doing it again and again, both on the training ground and the fireground."
Lt. Ray McCormack, FDNY

We have the chimney bombs, we fill baggies with baking soda. I was kind of hoping someone would have a neat gadget or something for the chain and all the stuff. Somebody the other night mentioned putting the chain on a tire rim to keep it from tangling. I was hoping to find something like that.

That's great for new construction... but George's point must be taken for any structure built before NFPA 211 was adopted.. and there are a lot of them.

Oh, trust me I agree with him on the collapse zone of any chimney. The only LODD our dept has had was way back and a result of a falling chimney. And the point still holds true with new construction when the house burns nearly flat and leaves the chimney standing there waiting to fall on someone. While we haven't had a structure burn this bad recently, it's our policy to take the chimney down hydraulically.

Back to my question...does anyone use the ziplock bags filled with Class A powder? I was wondering how effective these are because we might be adding some to our chimney kit.

Yes, we use these most of the time. And they work, most of the time. Barring a significant blockage or serious corbeling, the bag usually makes it to the fire and quickly kills it. The powder usually comes back up and out so depending on the air(wind/humidity) a mask might be indicated on the roof or just stay back a bit.

Another trick that works fairly well is to put a cast iron pan with some water in the stove and shut it down tight, the steam puts out the chimney fire quite handily.

We too use the bags , however we've had to open the ziplock an turn it over just before release because some of them make it to the bottom and never open. Thus still active fire. Our chains are carried in a separate bucket and are coiled up as if you were packing your rescue rope so tehy don't tangle when deployed. We also take a mirror to the roof as well.

[sarcasm]We feel after much soul searching, forum research, risk analysis, continued reduction in basic firefighter standards, and the fact some people feel this job is just to dangerous, we are not going to the roof anymore. We have concluded that in due time, a chimney fire will soon result into a structure fire, after that the roof will come to us and we can safely work from the ground, across the street.[/sarcasm]

My posts reflect my views and opinions, not the organization I work for or my IAFF local. Some of which they may not agree. I.A.C.O.J. member
"I ask, Sir, what is the militia? It is the whole people. To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them."
George Mason
Co-author of the Second Amendment
during Virginia's Convention to Ratify the Constitution, 1788Elevator Rescue Information